2 weeks Ago By The Guardian
After retiring from her job as a nurse, Nancy loved to spend time travelling, but she never expected it would lead to her meeting a new best friend. In 2022, she went to Munich, Germany, a city she regularly visited. “I live in North Carolina but I would travel to Europe on my own because my husband still works,” she says.
“Travelling is my way of relaxing and rewarding myself after all those years of hard work.” One morning, while eating breakfast at her hotel, she was approached by Barbara, a healthcare project manager from Austria, who was sitting at a nearby table. “I was visiting the city with my school friend, Andrea” says Barbara.
“I noticed this very elegant woman and really liked her coat. I’m a size 18 and struggle to find nice clothes, but I noticed she was a similar size.” Barbara asked Andrea to lean over and look at the label on the coat, so she could find out where it was from.
“She almost fell off her chair trying to see, so I decided to just go and ask,” says Barbara. Her inquiry sparked a conversation, and the two clicked. “I invited her to join us for coffee,” says Barbara.
As a single traveller, Nancy appreciated the company. “I told her about a Victorian tea room I wanted to go to and asked if they wanted to come too,” she says. “They came along and, afterwards, Barbara snuck off and paid the bill,” says Nancy.
“I hardly knew her and she bought me this wonderful champagne tea.” Barbara says it felt easygoing and they found they had lots in common. “Nancy talked about her family history and her German and British ancestors.
During the tea, I suggested she come to visit me in Austria the following year.” Nancy soon went back to the US but the pair stayed in touch via email and WhatsApp. “People often say ‘come and visit’ but they don’t really mean it.
With Barbara, it felt like a really genuine invite.” In November 2023, Nancy travelled back to Munich, where she met up with Barbara again. Afterwards, Barbara drove her to her home town of Graz in Austria.
“There was an early snowfall and we ended up having a snowball fight on the way back,” laughs Barbara. “When Nancy told me she’d never been to the opera, I arranged a tour of the local opera theatre,” she says. “When we arrived, we realised it was for young children.
We ended up going round with all these kids, which was really funny.” They also went on a 24-hour trip to Vienna, visiting Christmas markets and the Freud museum. “When I went to her house, I felt so relaxed and happy,” says Nancy.
“Anything I mentioned, like the museums or the markets, Barb made it happen. She knows so much about history and culture, it was like having my own personal guided tour. She’s made so many of my travel dreams come true.
” The friends bonded over more than just their shared passion for travel. “It’s unusual to make such a close friend at this age, but Nancy has always been so open,” says Barbara. “She told me about her daughter having bone surgery when she was young and how she’d nearly died.
I lost my mother and sister when they were both quite young, and meeting someone else who has also experienced trauma is a different kind of link.” In May this year, Nancy went back to Graz and from there the pair took a trip to Venice. “I convinced her to come on the gondolas with me and she ended up loving it,” says Nancy.
Barbara loves that they can “giggle like teenagers”, as well as having deep conversations. “I’m always humbled by her generosity, and the quality of trust between us is really high. With Nancy, I feel like it was just meant to be.
” Nancy describes her friend as funny, caring and empathic. “It’s a gift to meet people when you travel, and Barb is the best gift I’ve received on my travels anywhere. It’s been a very nice surprise to meet her at this point in life.
”.
